This Week in Gluttony

These are the 10 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

There's no time to eat Halloween candy when the last full week of October is packed with this much delicious-ness. And whether you want to grub on barbecue, sip fine wine, or indulge in uncommon ramen, there are choices galore for an unforgettable week on the Dallas dining scene.

Wednesday, October 25

Qupé Wine Dinner at Sixty Vines
Veteran wine maker Bob Lindquist guides guests through a five-course meal paired with wine selected from his award-winning winery to complement each dish. Courses include ahi tuna carpaccio, scotch bonnet egg salad, duck confit tortellini, and more. Tickets start at $85, and the dinner kicks off at 7 pm. For reservations, call 469-620-8463.

Thursday, October 26

Emoji Dinner 2.0 at Dallas Fish Market
This six-course menu features culinary creations that bring emojis to the table, and each dish perfectly pairs with wine. The dinner features a menu with no descriptions or photos, only emojis. Tickets are $65 and the dinner starts at 7 pm.

Friday, October 27

Terlato Wine Dinner at Truluck's
Experience this “Iconic Gems of the World,” four-course wine dinner paired with Terlato wines. Courses include stone crab two ways, Mediterranean seafood salad, center-cut filet, and New York-style cheesecake. Tickets are $200, and the evening festivities begin at 7 pm. Call 214-220-4201 to reserve your spot.

Fall-O-Ween at Longhorn Ballroom
Who says Halloween has to be all about candy? Enjoy food, drinks, and live entertainment at this festival featuring some of the best restaurants in DFW (think Knife, Meso Maya, Stirr). Vegan and vegetarian options also will be offered. Costumes are optional but welcomed, and the three best each night will win great prizes. Tickets start at $65, and the festivities kick off at 7:30 pm on Friday and 7 pm on Saturday.

Saturday, October 28

Battle of the Pies at White Rock Market
Amateur bakers of all ages are invited to join in the fun with their with a special award for best youth bakers under 16. All pies will be available for tasting by the public, who vote “Best of” in the categories of Fruit, Nut, Chocolate, Cream/Custard, Youth, Most Beautiful, and Best Overall. Entry fee for bakers is $10 per pie, and tasting tickets will be available the day of for $5. The contest kicks off at 10 am. Register online here.

BBQ Pitmaster Class at Ten50 BBQ
Ten50 BBQ's William Weisiger is teaming up with Cobra Brewing Company to spend the day teaching attendees tricks to becoming a barbecue master. Guests will be educated on everything from how to choose the meat to how to smoke it to perfection. And, of course, they can enjoy barbecue by Ten50 and craft beer by Cobra Brewing during class. Tickets start at $20, and the class starts at 11 am.

National Chocolate Day Dinner at LAW
Head to the Four Seasons' signature restaurant to enjoy a four-course chocolate dinner in celebration of National Chocolate Day. The evening begins with a welcome reception followed by a tasting menu with cacao carefully woven into each dish. Wine pairings are available for an additional cost. Tickets are $78, and the evening kicks off at 5:30 pm. Call 972-717-2420 to reserve your spot.

Sunday, October 29

Rosé All Day Wine & Music Festival at Oak Lawn Park
This inaugural festival stretches out over 15 acres and invites guests to dress to impress in pink or white. Sip Biagio Cru's "Rosé All Day" namesake wine from the south of France while listening to bands like Petty Theft, A Hard Night's Day, Straight Tequila Night, and more. This event is happening in October to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the festival itself benefits AIRS Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery. Tickets start at $50, and the festival opens its doors at 1 pm. (Note: Oak Lawn Park is the new name of Robert E. Lee Park.)

Dallas Kosher BBQ Championship at Sunnyland Patio Furniture
Once again, the national cuisine of Texas meets the dietary laws of the Bible as the Men’s Club of Congregation Beth Torah presents this third annual event. The festival also features music from Counterfeit Radio, a kids zone, and great food. Proceeds from the event benefit programs and initiatives of the Congregation Beth Torah Men’s Club such as CHAI (Community Homes for Adults, Inc.). Admission is free and food is available for purchase. The fun starts at 10 am.

Monday, October 30

Uncommon Ramen Series at Top Knot
Chef Alex Astranti collaborates with Julian Barsotti from Carbone's to create signature noodles and drinks for this epic evening of food and drink ramen style. The ramen costs $15, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Houston hurricane relief efforts. Call 214-855-1354 to reserve your table.

Take part in the Good Local Markets Battle of the Pies at White Rock Market on Saturday, October 28.

Good Local Markets presents Battle of the Pies

Photo courtesy of Good Local Markets

Take part in the Good Local Markets Battle of the Pies at White Rock Market on Saturday, October 28.

barbecue wine dinner fundraisers

Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun

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